Audio & Sound F/x
The music throughout the game will be relaxing and will calm the player. It will be a few tracks playing on repeat but randomly. I'm looking for something like a relaxing instrumental such as a guitar or piano but it should also be cheerful.
Player Elements
The player will have sound effect when he is cycling. There will be a standard cycling sound playing.
Global Elements
There will be other sounds that the player can hear. For example, there will sound for animals and cars as they go about.
Menu Fx
The menu will have the same music playing as the on in-game. Most likely it will just be one of them. There will also be sound effects as the player clicks a button.
Technical
Cycle away will not be a demanding game as it should work on most computer systems. I want it working well for windows and hopefully for Mac. I will also try optimise the game once completed to improve frame-rate. The engine that will be used will be Unity.
System Requirements
User Interface (controls)
The user controls will be very simple and easy to use. They will be the basic moving controls such as AWSD. I think these are best suited for the game.
Marketing
The key elements to promote this game would to post sneak-previews of the game and use social media marketing. We want to market to people who just want to relax and don't want anything demanding. Sites like Instagram and Youtube will be perfect for this game. We can also reach out to influencers to review the game.
Key Features
What will make the game attractive to the player is the aesthetic and the feeling of the game. I want player to feel the feeling of peace when they play the game. This will be the main feature of marketing.
Development
For the programming, I will need to create character movement as he walks around and as he is cycling. If there isn't enough time, I will just leave the player on the bicycle as it will not take away from the game's main core.
I will need to programme cars moving and animals wandering. If I have enough time, I will try add people moving in the city. I will also need to programme a day/night cycle.
Game Introduction
Cycle Away is a game about getting away from the stress of the city and into nature. It is a game focused on cycling around with no objective other than to relax and have fun. You will play as a man named Finn who has a day off from work and wants to get out of the city. There will be an end goal but it is only if you want to finish your adventure.
- Genre - Adventure
- The game is an exploration game where you cycle away from the city.
- Target audience & platforms
- People who want to have a relaxing experience and not have to think much while playing.
- Look and Feel
- The game will look and feel of the game will be low poly, similar to Journey, Azbu and The First Tree.
Story
You wake up as Finn around 7am. Finn has been working very hard for the past week and finally has a day off where he can just enjoy his time. He decides he wants to go on an adventure and what better way to experience one than with his bicycle. As he gets on his bicycle, he doesn't know where he will go. It doesn't bother Finn as he is awaiting his adventure.
How to Play
The main rule of the game is to relax and enjoy your experience. There isn't any main objective other than that. This is more of an experience other than an action game. The player will cycle on his bicycle wherever he/she wishes.
Artwork (design)
The main style I want for this game is low-poly. I want it to look impressive and beautiful to look at. I will need buildings, roads, signs, lights, pathways, trees, rivers, grass, animals, cars etc. These will need to suit the style of the game. There will also be a colour palate by which the game will follow by. I will also need a logo done and some ui for the game.
Level Design
There will be one main level for the game. It will be divided into two main parts, the city and the woods. The woods will be a bit bigger than the city and will be situated in the north of the map. The city will be in the south.
Global Elements
The game will be played in third person as will be able to look around while moving the mouse. There will be out of bounds area where the player can't go and they will have colliders. The scale of the world will not be very big but just enough to feel expansive.
Player View
The image below is how the camera will be situated. It is a mockup for now but will most likely not change much.
Characters
There will be one main character in the game which will be Finn. He will have one variation only and will fit with the aesthetic of the game. He will most likely not have a face as I don't feel the need for one in this game.